Thursday, June 17, 2010

From the A-pillar forward, the Raptor has unique sheetmetal from other F-150s and is bereft of a Blue Oval badge in the grille. SVT widened the track by 7 in., and so its 5.5-ft box is unique to the Raptor as well.

Height is up 2 in. over a standard Supercrew. It has new, internal bypass shocks, designed by Fox Racing Shocks for a smooth ride on-road that stiffens up when the driver reaches high speeds off-road. Fox's new shocks are designed to do what external bypass shocks do, without the packaging problems.

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

Ford F-150 SVT RaptorThe Raptor has new leaf springs and shocks, new front upper- and lower-A-arms, and a new, wider, thicker-walled rear axle. It's the first Ford with hill-descent control and comes with a differential locker that lets the driver keep it locked at high speeds. It tows up to 6000 lb and has a 1000-lb payload. Interior changes include unique, high-bolster seats, a special steering wheel, and redesigned center console. Ford hasn't determined price or volume yet, though it promises a "value price" and a multiyear run. SVT's latest F-150 is far from perfectly timed, though by foregoing a high-performance street truck for one that's highly capable off-road, it's more in line with the move to pickups with "authentic" capabilities as suburban cowboys leave the segment in droves.